


The Hanged Man

by VaultBunny (Spinning_Hatter)



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: A lot of kissing, Accidental Self-Bondage, Consensual, Established Relationship, F/M, Face-Sitting, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), Good Intentions, Happy Sex, Julian Deserves Love, Julian Devorak's Route, Light Bondage, Magic backfiring, Oral Sex, Pet Names, Safewords Established but Not Used, Sex Is Fun, Tagged just to be safe, Voyeurism, brief masturbation, communication is key, light sensory play, loving couple, named apprentice, possible spoilers?, slight praise kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 20:53:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19117495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spinning_Hatter/pseuds/VaultBunny
Summary: “Ah, Darling! You’re home early,” He called jovially, craning his neck and back so he could at least see her right-side-up. “Not to worry! I can explain everything!”When Julian attempts to use magic to help tidy up the house, the spell backfires and leaves him hanging upside-down in the middle of the bedroom. The opportunity is just too good for a magician's apprentice to pass up.





	The Hanged Man

**Author's Note:**

> I am literal Julian t r a s h.
> 
> Enjoy!

     A clean house is the first sign of a boring person—Julian vaguely recalled hearing that on one of the excursions he’d accompanied on Mazelinka’s ship. If that were truly the case, then Saria must be the most interesting woman in the world. Though, to be fair, saying the shop was a mess wasn’t exactly true. Saria was a very tidy person, dusting and cleaning almost daily since he’d moved in with her, but there was only so much that could be done with so many items in such a small space. The shop was always free of dust yet no space was left unoccupied. Crystals, relics, drying herbs, and tomes almost double the size of his head littered any and every available space her small shop had to offer. The entire storefront was a jungle of organized chaos that entranced the eye and crippled the mind whenever it attempted to make sense of the room—or maybe that was just him.

 

     Lately, though, the shop had been suffering from neglect. Saria’s time was stretched too thin by her work at the palace and Julian began to notice the charming disarray slowly morphing into a hoard without purpose. She was worn out. He could see it taking its toll on her every day and he worried that she’d collapse from exhaustion at any moment.

 

     He decided fairly quickly to help ease this particular burden. A little tidying up _usually_ didn’t kill anybody (though there was an unfortunate incident at the Rowdy Raven once upon a time—he’d never look at a mop the same way again) and it was the least he could do to help Saria after everything she did for him on a daily basis. After all: a rested Saria was a happy Saria, and a happy Saria had ways of making Julian very, _very_ happy.

 

     “Now,” Julian grinned and clasped his hands together in anticipation, “where to begin?” He scanned the storefront, countenance falling quickly as the sheer number of arcane artifacts overwhelmed his vision. Saria had been teaching him very basic magic since their encounter with the Devil, but he couldn’t make heads or tails of how to sort any of the magical items in a way that could benefit her. His shoulders slumped but he’d been called worse than persistent before. Julian stroked his chin, deciding that shining crystals and skull totems were just out of his area of expertise.

 

     He relocated to the living quarters, his long legs taking the narrow stairs two at a time. Was being tiny a magician trait? Asra was practically pocket-sized in comparison to his own stature, and the magician was at least a head taller than Saria. He still had to remind himself to mind his head every time he stepped inside the shop. Luckily, the ceiling upstairs was much higher and he ran no risk of banging his head against anything. Though, it wasn’t in a much better state than the shop. Dishes were resting in the sink, floor pillows were strewn about haphazardly, and a large pile of Saria’s sarongs were taking up much of the floor beside their bed—but domestic cleaning he could manage!

 

     The kitchenette was first. He scrubbed the dishes clean, dried them, wiped down the countertops and sink. It didn’t take nearly as long as he was dreading, his body finding a steady rhythm that led him to the next task. He fluffed up the floor pillows in the corner and picked up the books littered about the rug until one of them caught his eye. It was a text on sigils that Saria recommended to him, full of simple spells that he’d be able to control without risk of burning himself or their home to the ground.

 

     He chuckled at the memory of her curling her finger towards its spine, making the book dance its way from the shelf through the air and wave in front of his face playfully until he took it in his hands. He’d never liked magic much, but Saria had ways of making it seem harmless and even fun. They’d spent hours snuggled up on the pillows, her gentle coaching caressing his ears and shivering down his spine while he practiced levitating small objects in the air.

 

     “Ah-ha!” Julian crowed and tapped the cover of the book with the back of his fingers. He couldn’t manage extremely heavy objects but levitation would certainly make the job go much faster. He quickly flipped through the pages until he found the correct circle. He laid the book flat on the rug, took a deep calming breath like she’d taught him and closed his eyes, resting his palms on either side of the sigil.

 

     The objects had to be light, so he focused on the sarongs littering the floor in a rainbow of patterns. He envisioned them lifting into the air and shaking off any dust that must have accumulated on them from the floor. He peeked his uncovered eye open, an ecstatic shout of triumph escaping him as he watched the scarves rise from the floor and shake themselves off. Saria would be so proud of him once he told her! He could see it now: Her beautiful eyes would light up, crinkling at the corners from her sweet smile, and she’d throw her arms around him in a heavenly embrace that’d make him feel like he was flying.

 

     “Oh, no! No, no, no, no!” Julian yanked his hands away from the sigil but it was too late, his focus had wandered too easily and the floating scarves dashed his way, coiling around his body tightly and lifting him into the air. He struggled against the constricting fabric but it didn’t give an inch. The more he fought back, the more he spun like a scrying pendulum.

 

     “Alright, enough! Let me go,” he demanded. The spell still didn’t dissipate. He snarled and flexed his arms, but remained dangling upside down above the floor pillows. “Wonderful. I can’t just hang around all day, you know?” His bitter attempt at humor fell on no other ears but his own. Would he be stuck until Saria came home? That could very well be hours yet. He growled to himself and wracked his brain for a solution but his knowledge of magic was still introductory at best.

 

     Luckily, the wheel of fortune seemed to spin in his favor. The downstairs door creaked open and he heard the soft jingling of the bells wrapped around Saria’s ankles as she bounded inside. Julian squirmed as she started up the stairs, rotating in the air just enough to see her stop dead on the landing, beautiful oceanic eyes widening.

 

     “Ah, Darling! You’re home early,” He called jovially, craning his neck and back so he could at least see her right-side-up. “Not to worry! I can explain everything!”

 

     A slow smirk curled across her face, taking the time to appreciate his predicament fully. Her smile stretched into a full-blown grin and she made her way over to him, uncontained giggles overflowing from her pink lips as she took his face in her small hands that always smelled of lavender. His body floated at the contact, no longer bobbing like a buoy but laying flat on his stomach in the air, perfectly parallel to the floor.

 

     “How in the world did you manage this, my love?” She teased, lifting him to her eye level. Julian’s eyes fluttered shut at her touch but he forced himself to focus and gave her the most roguish smile he could muster.

 

     “Would you believe that I, Julian Devorak, your most prized and most _handsome_ pupil,” he waggled his eyebrows for effect, delighting in her peals of laughter, “did, in fact, cast a levitation spell!”

 

     “Well, you’re certainly levitating,” she conceded, unable to rein in her grin. “What went wrong?”

 

     “Ah,” Julian flushed and cleared his throat. “It was all going according to plan, really. I meant to help tidy up a bit and I thought of how pleased you’d be if you saw me cast such a spell all on my own. I imagined you throwing your arms around me and, well,” he shrugged as best as he could with the scarves pinning his arms to his torso, “your clothes did all the hugging for you.”

 

     Her eyes sparkled with mirth and she ran her fingers fondly through his hair. He barely contained a shiver at the spark of magic that buzzed at her fingertips, flashing through his scalp like the electric air right before a lightning strike.

 

     “Thank you for helping. I’m sorry I haven’t been home much lately.”

 

     “Don’t apologize! You stopped the Devil himself and now you’re helping to better all of Vesuvia. This is the very least I could do,” Julian insisted.

 

     “I seem to recall you having a rather large part to play in that as well.” Saria pressed a kiss to his nose. The sarong wrapped around her body shimmered as she moved, hues changing in the light as though she had harnessed the very essence of color into the fabric. He watched her curiously, hoped she had a solution at hand even as he was entranced by the sway of her hips as she took several steps back.

 

     “I suppose you’d like to get down now,” she mused.

 

     His hopes were dashed at the devious look that overtook her features. Her eyes narrowed, smirk slanting as she tilted her head to size him up. She tapped a finger against her chin, the wheels in her head turning. It could only spell trouble...but Julian could never get enough of _that_ , could he?

 

     “Saria, Darling, you _can_ get me down, can’t you?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow and turning on the charm.

 

     “Oh, I most certainly can,” she said, “but…”

 

     “But?”

 

     The grin she flashed him was diabolic.

 

     “Well, the most important part of magic is learning how to fix your own mistakes, isn’t it? If I get you down now, you won’t learn anything from this experience.”

 

     Silence stretched between them. Julian was sure his jaw had struck the floor but Saria’s smile didn’t falter. There was an extra pop to her hips as she turned from him and strolled across the room.

 

     “Where are you going?” Julian strained in the air, trying to follow after her.

 

     “It’s hot today. I feel like I’ve been sitting in my own sweat for decades.” Saria moved to the curtain hiding the tub from the rest of the room. It was nowhere near as luxurious as the bath they had shared during the masquerade, but it was just big enough for the two of them to squeeze into when the desire arose. The curtains pulled back at a mere flick of her practiced wrist and she smirked over her shoulder at him, gathering her satin blonde hair in her hands and knotting it behind her head. “It’s a shame that you’re so _tied up_ , my love. It’d be nice for you to join me.”

 

     Julian’s mouth went dry.

 

     “Sur-Surely I can learn this lesson another day, hm?” He bargained, trying to kick out his legs. Saria laughed, chiming like the bells at her feet. His heart leapt into his throat as her fingers trailed along the braided leather cord keeping her sarong shut. The belt fell and coiled near her toes and he struggled in earnest, flexing his muscles and squirming. Saria let the fabric slide off her shoulders, teasing him to a slow reveal of her skin—all smooth and honey-toned that always tasted just as sweet under his adoring kisses. Her gaze flashed to his as the last of the wrap pooled behind her.

 

     She watched him devour her with his eyes. He raked his stare down her slender shoulders, followed the light curve of her spine to the pinch of her waist, roved over her round posterior and plush thighs, down to her firm calves and dainty ankles. It felt like an eternity since he’d last seen her body, warm and inviting, and he felt the telltale heat of desire stir in his trousers. When she bent over to remove her anklets, Julian couldn’t stop the desperate groan from ripping out of his mouth.

 

     Saria sunk into the tub, arching her back and purring at the warm water lapping against her skin. She sighed, eyelashes fluttering shut as she soaked in the floral-scented bath. For a few moments, Julian thought she was drifting off to sleep. That in itself would have been its own level of torture. He tried to focus his mind, push his intentions on his binds, but then her hands started moving and all coherent thought fizzled out. She lathered some soap in her hands, gently scrubbing it into her skin with her talented fingers. He could almost feel them on his own skin.

 

     Her hands glided along her swan-like neck, over her petite breasts, pausing there for perhaps a beat too long while she glanced his way. The little minx was making sure he was watching, tossing him a saucy smile before continuing. Her fingers played with her nipples, circling and pinching lightly as she watched him watching her. Her pink tongue swept along her lip and one hand dipped out of sight beneath the water. A smooth leg lifted out of the tub, ankle propped up on the rim and she gasped lightly.

 

     He couldn’t pull his eyes away from the rhythmic rippling of the water, the way she bit that luscious lower lip, rolled her head back, and her tiny toes curling.

 

     “ _Julian_ ,” she moaned softly and he knew that he was a dead man. He felt feverish, burning from his ears to his chest and even further still. She was usually very vocal whenever they were intimate but she seemed to be putting out a little extra effort to make sure he heard just how much she was enjoying herself with him as her captive audience.

 

     His hips jerked involuntarily the more she sighed his name, seeking friction anywhere he could find it but being suspended in the air did nothing to help his presently growing problem. His hands were wrapped at his sides by the fabric bathing him in the smell of her, so any chance of taking care of himself was out of the question. His ears were roaring, teeth creaking with the force he clenched them together. He was desperate to feel her skin against him, taste her, and the more he struggled, the more helpless he felt.

 

     “Oh, Saria... _please_ ,” he practically sobbed. It felt as though he’d be trapped in that silken cocoon for eternity. Saria’s hands stopped immediately. She stood from the tub and he watched rivulets of water roll down her bare skin, unable to contain a pitiful sound as she approached him.

 

     She tangled her damp hands through his curls and he shivered, desperately trying to close the space between them. When she kissed him, she let his hunger overpower her. His tongue snaked its way into her mouth, clashing with hers, seeking out some form of relief for the rest of his body. She tightened her grip after a moment and pulled his head back, ripping a choked moan from his throat. Saria kept his head still, nibbling softly on his bottom lip and gently running her fingers through his tousled hair.

 

     “Are you alright, Love?” She asked, all playfulness gone from her eyes.

 

     “No,” Julian groaned. He grimaced, then shook his head. “Wait, no, that is, yes. I’m alright.”

 

     “Take a deep breath,” she said. Her fingers stroked soothing lines across his cheekbones and his eyes closed on their own accord. “Think for a moment, then tell me again if you’re okay”

 

     He breathed deeply through his nose, testing his binds again. He was constricted and nothing short of magic would set him free but he wasn’t in any danger. He could roll his shoulders, twist his arms, and after a few more cycles of inhale-exhale he opened his eyes again.

 

     “I’m alright,” he confirmed, a sheepish smile curled his lips, “I just want you.”

 

     “You have me.” Saria kissed his forehead and looked over his mummified body with a critical eye. “Let’s at least make you more comfortable.”

 

     Julian nodded. His stomach lurched as his body moved towards the bed, led by her fingers twisted in the fabric. Saria held him still over the bed, eyes closing in concentration. It took only a moment for her clothing to start unraveling from around him and find their way into the laundry hamper like he’d originally intended. He fell the short distance to the mattress, bouncing lightly with a grin plastered on his face.

 

     Saria climbed up, shaking her hair loose to fall down over her shoulders. Julian reached out and pulled her to his chest, crashed their lips together with enough intensity to nearly knock her onto her back. His body cried out to feel as much of her as possible.

 

     Saria hummed into the kiss and rolled her hips against him. He needed her like the sun, reluctant to separate from her even as she tugged his billowing shirt over his head. She pulled his eyepatch away and tossed it aside as well, a breathless laugh ghosting between them as his hands gripped her thighs. She placed one hand in the center of his chest, pushing him down flat with a devious smirk.

 

     “Ah-ah-ah,” she chided. “Hands above your head, Sweetheart.”

 

     Julian groaned and complied, tossing his hands above his mess of auburn hair and crossing them at the wrists. Saria smiled, fingers dancing mischievously through his chest hair.

 

     “Will you be able to behave or should I have kept you tied up?”

 

     “ _Ohhh yes, please_!” Julian shivered beneath her and she laughed. She curled her finger towards her armoire. A long red scarf serpentined into her hands, the satin fabric mimicking the glitter of waves on the surface of the ocean as the light bounced off its face. Saria straddled his abdomen, wrapping the soft cloth around his wrists. She leaned over his face, her chest far too tantalizingly close for Julian to resist sneaking kisses between her breasts. Saria giggled and tugged the knot once, squirming as his tongue darted out to taste her freshly cleaned skin.

 

     “How’s that?”

 

     Julian gave the scarf a test pull and hummed in contemplation, searing another heated kiss against her sternum.

 

     “Tighter.”

 

     He felt her hands hesitate for a moment, but she tightened the knot dutifully and secured him to the headboard, fingers softly stroking his knuckles when she pulled her hands away.

 

     “Better?” She asked.

 

     “Perfect!” Julian pulled away from her body, laying back obediently. She kissed him again, soft and chaste, hands trailing along his arms and shoulders.

 

     “You remember what to say if you need to stop?” She asked and brushed his hair out of his face, nothing but love pouring from her eyes.

 

     “Goat,” Julian provided with a rakish grin. Saria leaned down and bit him sharply along the line of his throat as a reward. She beamed at the high-pitched yelp her teeth on his flesh elicited, nibbled and kissed down all his favorite spots, pressed herself closer when he squirmed and gasped beneath her.

 

     Julian felt the crackle of magic dance across her palms as she ran her hands along his broad chest, warmth spreading from her hands through his skin. It was all-enveloping, heating him from the inside out. He sighed, melting beneath her massaging fingers and sweet lips molding over his. Her fingers danced over his nipples, heat being replaced by a sudden chill that had him jerk forward as far as his binding would let him go.

 

     “Ha! Oh, I _love_ that. Oh, Saria…”

 

     Saria giggled, the warmth back as she shifted further down his body. Her hands trailed down his abdomen, the fluctuating temperature making his abs clench and spine tremble. She ran a teasingly light touch along his sides, tickling just enough to get him wiggling before she reached the buttons of his trousers. She unclasped them one by one, carefully sliding them down his hips and legs, releasing his manhood from its confines.

 

     Julian hissed through his teeth when the cold air hit him. Saria tossed his pants to the floor, her pink tongue darting out over her lips as her eyes swept along his length. His erection strained nearly to his stomach, the blushing head already pearling at the tip. Her soft palm stroked him from the base to the flare of his head, drawing a guttural moan from his throat.

 

     “You’re so lovely, Julian,” she praised.

 

     “Not something I expected to— _Gods above_!” Julian threw his head back with a shout. Saria’s mouth enveloped him, tongue lathing his velveteen flesh each time her head bobbed to take more inside. She hollowed her cheeks and hummed happily, swallowing around him when he reached the back of her throat and gently massaging his sack with her hand.

 

     His legs trembled. It took every ounce of self-control not to thrust himself deep into her throat. The noises she summoned from him were almost inhuman, ripped from the depths of his chest and the more she sounded her own pleasure, the more certain he became that this would not be a lengthy affair. His breaths left him in shallow pants, sweat beaded on his brow, and his fists clenched and unclenched but he was too close to the edge.

 

     “Saria, _wait_!” Julian cursed and tugged against his binds. Saria pulled herself away, eyes sparkling with mischief. She climbed back up his body and nuzzled her face against the bite marks on his neck, pressing herself against his heaving chest.

 

     “I’m sorry, Sweetheart. Too much?”

 

     “Perfect amount, actually.” Julian tilted his head back, inviting for more love-bites to his throat that Saria seemed only too happy to oblige. “I need you terribly.”

 

     “How do you want me?”

 

     “In the most immediate manner possible.” A moan cut off his breathless laugh. “But I’m afraid I won’t last much longer. Come here?”

 

     Saria tilted her head and leaned closer to his face, peppering kisses along his jawline. Julian chuckled low in his throat and kissed her heartily once she reached his lips.

 

     “The rest of you, Darling. Sit over my face.”

 

     She flushed, blinking owlishly at him as though he’d just informed her he’d grown an extra appendage. She seemed to roll the request over in her mind, then nodded once. It was something they had discussed in passing, though she’d wanted to be certain they could perform the act safely.

 

     “Two fingers up if you need me to move,” she said, demonstrating by raising her index and middle finger up in a “V” shape. Julian threw her a wolfish grin and raised his own fingers.

 

     “Two fingers,” he agreed, giddy butterflies mixing with the sheer lust and love melting in his stomach. “At least until I’m sure I can handle all of you.”

 

     “Well then,” Saria smirked and moved to straddle his head with her thighs, supporting herself a breadth away from his waiting mouth and tangling her fingers into his hair, “get to work, Lover.”

 

     She caught herself with one hand on the headboard, head falling back at the heat of his breath when he burrowed his face into her sex. Her arousal coated his lips and Julian felt a surge of pride. Teasing kisses from smiling lips pressed against her clit, accented with gentle scrapes of his teeth and tongue. Her breath hitched, voice rising higher and higher as her pelvis ground into his feasting mouth. He lost himself in her scent and the taste of her desire, tongue plunging inside her wet heat to coax out tiny shrieks that bounced through the room.

 

     Even through her mounting pleasure, the hand that was buried in his hair moved to brush against his fists in a silent question. Julian shifted his hands, giving her two thumbs up that had her giggling through her amorous sighs. She squealed in delight when he ran the flat of his tongue from her slit to her pearl, swirling lewdly around the hidden bud.

 

     Saria tugged his hair, moaned his name, and Julian focused his efforts on a particular spot that left her thighs trembling beside his ears. It wasn’t too much longer before she choked out a warning and forced herself away from him. He breathed heavily, her intoxicating scent still swirling around his head like a morning mist. He mouthed a question but Saria’s clever hand grasped his weeping erection at the base, effectively silencing him.

 

     “Next time,” she promised, bosom heaving and pink with arousal. “Right now, I want to finish with you. Are you ready?”

 

     “Yes, _yes_! Gods, yes,” Julian moaned and nodded.

 

     Saria positioned herself over him, stroking his shaft as she lined her body up with his. A shuddering breath ripped itself from his lungs as she took him inside her. It had been too long since they were last together, his body rejoiced at the heat enveloping him and spreading through his limbs. She was almost too tight, taking time to fully accommodate him, and she worried her lip between her teeth as she took all of him in.

 

     Radiant. For the first time, Julian thought he truly understood the meaning of the word. Whether it was magic or hormones, Saria seemed absolutely ethereal as she settled on top of him. When she moved at last, it was torturously slow and left his mind spinning, but the way she rocked her hips was captivating. She angled herself so he brushed against that spot inside her that left her crying out each time he thrust against it. Her hands braced herself on his chest, nails biting into his skin so sweetly that he couldn’t help his own moan.

 

     “You feel so good,” she praised. “I love you so much.”

 

     Julian groaned, the words only fueling his desire. He bent a knee and arched his back to meet the bounce of her hips, guided by her euphoric cries. The room fell away. All his brain registered was the scent of sweat and sex mixing with incense and the feeling of her walls clenching around him as she chased her pleasure. Saria’s voice sang his praises through the haze, called him lovely words that he’d never considered for himself until he met her. He wanted to touch her, grip her hips and cover her flesh with kisses and whispered adorations. Instead, his eyes focused on her face, rapt with pleasure with her pretty lips parted and head rolled back. He listened as her words lost all definition and she cried out in bliss, muscles spasming around him.

     

     The sensation of her coming undone around him was enough to push him over the edge and Julian let himself go, spilling himself inside her with a guttural moan and a gasp. 

 

     Saria collapsed against his chest, body still trembling every so often as she tried to catch her breath. She moved up his body enough for him to slide out of her, whimpering only once at the loss before her lips molded over his with a sated kiss. She tugged the knot around his wrists loose and freed him. Julian’s arms immediately snaked around her and cradled her small form to his, smiling softly into her relaxed kisses.

 

     “How are your wrists, Love?” She asked, still panting lightly.

 

     “Perfect,” he sighed against her lips. “Everything is perfect.”

 

     Saria smiled, nuzzling her face just beneath his jaw and kissing his flushed skin. It was far too soon when she pulled away, cheeks pink and an embarrassed grimace twisting her lips.

 

     “Maybe I should clean up before we cuddle,” she offered.

 

     “We both need to bathe anyway,” Julian reasoned, “let’s stay like this for a while longer. I just need to hold you.”

 

     Saria smiled softly and nodded, nuzzling her face into his neck where little red marks had already started to shine. Julian tightened his hold around her, burying his nose into her hair and breathing in deeply. Lavender, rosemary, and a scent that was a delicious mix of the both of them filled his senses. His heart swelled as he felt her breathe deep against him, sighing softly.

 

     An intrusive thought wormed its way into his mind, one that came far too often for his liking. He feared he would wake up, alone, in the dungeon with hastily scrawled notes surrounding him and the burn of the plague in his veins. Each moment together felt like a dream that would break him completely should he ever be ripped from it, too perfect as though they were back in the realm of the Arcana and he was being played a cruel trick by the Devil. He swallowed thickly and pressed his lips to her hair.

 

     “Saria?” He nearly whispered, too fearful to shatter even the fear of an illusion. When she hummed in question, he focused on stroking her silky skin with his fingers, grounding him to the present and reassuring himself that she was real, he was real, everything they’d shared was real. “The things you were saying before...can you say them again?”

 

     “Which part?” Saria giggled and raised her head. She paused when she saw his eyes. Whatever implorations she met there softened her expression and she kissed him gently, fingers stroking his sharp cheekbones. “I said: I love you, my lovely, wonderful, _breathtaking_ Julian—and I’ll tell you exactly that no matter how many times you need to hear it.”

 

     Her words embarrassed him but filled his chest with so much warmth, his eyes welled up in response. He blinked the tears back harshly and plastered on his best smug smirk.

 

     “Well, what harm could once more do?” He asked, melting under her dazzling smile.

 

     “I’ll say it a thousand more times,” she swore. “I love you,” she kissed up the bridge of his nose, “my lovely,” trailed her lips across his brow, “wonderful,” and down his cheeks, “ _dashing_ …”

 

     “Hold on now, you just added that one!” He accused with a grin. “Though, I agree with it wholeheartedly.”

 

     Julian kissed her firmly as soon as her lips came back within range. Saria laughed against his lips and stroked her fingers through his messy hair.

 

     “Well, I’m also about to add ‘sweaty’ and ‘stinky’ to the list,” she teased.

 

     “Say no more!” Julian declared with a chuckle. He swept her up into his arms and strolled towards the tub, sitting her carefully on the edge and reaching for a soft washcloth. She held her hand out for it but he waved it away, kneeling in front of her and dipping the cloth into the perpetually warm bath. He lifted one of her legs and rested it on his shoulder, pressing devoted kisses to her ankle as he gently ran the cloth between her thighs. Saria winced, obviously still sensitive, but Julian cleaned her carefully.

 

     “Will you get in with me?” She asked once he’d finished. Julian tossed the cloth aside and gave her ankle one last playful nibble before lowering her leg.

 

     “Just try and keep me out.” He winked.

 

     Saria raised her arms, laughing happily as he lifted her back up and stepped into the tub. He lowered into the water, soaking in flowers and Nevivon bath salts. He briefly wondered if Saria could teach him any magic to stop time, just so he could bask in the moment for as long as he desired. He wanted to feel her curled up between his legs, pressed against his abdomen and face nestled against his chest forever.

 

     He chanced a glance at the hamper across the room where Saria’s traitorous sarongs slept lifelessly and laughed to himself. She glanced up at him in question, but Julian only shook his head and kissed between her eyebrows, wrapping his arms securely around her waist.

 

     Maybe it was best to leave the spellcasting to the magicians.


End file.
